Islamabad: Baggage search irks passengers

[Naveed Yaseen]

ISLAMABAD: The frequent checking of luggage by police personnel due to the prevailing law and order situation in the country is irking passengers whose traveling time is increased as their luggage is subjected to inspection at several police checkposts.

As if the police was not already making the life of passengers difficult, bus conductors also trouble the long distance travelers by demanding additional fare from the passengers who carry luggage with them.

Passengers not only face inconvenience, their precious time is also wasted due to the frequent luggage-inspection at police checkposts.

Some passengers told Daily Times that sometimes the police asked the passengers to come down from the bus and inspected their luggage one by one, which took at least fifteen minutes. The passengers who have to reach their offices after traveling long distances bear the brunt of the problem as they fail to reach their offices on time.

Mohammad Alam told Daily Times that he reached his office late on Monday as he was subjected to luggage-inspection several times during his journey. Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Nizar Ali told Daily Times that the police and other law enforcement agencies set up checkposts due to prevailing law and order situation in the country. He said that the inspection was also instrumental in curbing narcotics smuggling and thwarting terrorist acts in the country. However, Ayaz, a driver, said that the police stopped vehicles on police pickets to take bribe from drivers.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...008_pg11_9